If I get a job while on unemployment do I still file weekly claims with California EDD?

Wait so I report what I earned that week even if my first paycheck doesn't come for two weeks? That's the part tripping me up.

Yes exactly - you report based on when you performed the work, not when the check hits your bank account. So if you worked Mon-Sun of a given week, you report those gross earnings on that week's certification even if payday is three weeks out.

This is the correct answer. Learned this the hard way when I got confused and reported by pay date instead of work date. Caused a whole mess with my claim.

Gross not net, ok that's a really important detail. I would have put net for sure.

lol same i put net the first time and had to call edd to fix it. nightmare getting through to anyone

This is really helpful. So theoretically I could still get some benefits even working 25 hours a week depending on my wage?

Correct. At $18/hour for 25 hours that's $450 gross for the week. If your WBA is say $450 also, you'd subtract the $112.50 disregard, leaving $337.50 in countable earnings which would zero out a $450 WBA. But if your WBA is higher, you'd still get partial payment. Run your own numbers using those figures.

the 25% disregard thing is real i used it for like 6 weeks when i was picking up shifts at my old job before landing full time work again

Oh wow I didn't even think about that. Which question specifically caused the issue for you?

The one asking if you were able and available for full time work. I said no because I thought starting part time meant I wasn't fully available anymore. But apparently the right answer depends on whether you're still willing to accept full time work if it came along. I was, so I should have said yes.

This tripped me up too. The certification questions are genuinely confusing when your employment situation changes mid-claim.

I've been dreading having to call EDD. Might check that out. Did they actually answer your question about earnings reporting?

Yeah the agent I got was actually super helpful and confirmed exactly how to report partial week earnings. Worth it just for the peace of mind honestly.

gonna look into this. i gave up trying to call edd months ago

That makes sense. For now it's definitely part time so I'll keep filing.

This is right. Once your weekly gross earnings hit or exceed your WBA there's no benefit left to receive. Some people still file at that point which is unnecessary but not harmful as long as they report accurately.

Good tip, my start date is Wednesday so my first week would only be like 3 days of earnings.

Exactly. Just enter what you actually earned Wed through Sat for that certification week. Simple as that.

yeah the sunday-saturday week thing confused me at first too because paychecks dont usually run that way

No need to notify them in advance. The weekly certification is the official mechanism for reporting your work and earnings. Just answer the questions accurately when you file your cert for any week you worked.

Oh that's a relief. I was worried I needed to call or send a message through UI Online first.

Same, I stressed about this too. Just let the certification do the reporting for you.

Wait really? Even though I have a job I still have to do job search activities?

yeah until you hit full time or your claim ends you're technically still required to search. at least that was my situation. might depend on your specific claim type

This varies. If you're working enough hours that you're essentially transitioned back to employment EDD may not require continued job search activities but there's no automatic exemption just because you're working part time. Worth confirming on your specific claim.

Yes that's how it works. Each week is calculated independently. If week 1 you earn over your WBA you get $0 for that cert. Week 2 if you only work a few hours your partial benefit kicks back in as long as you file your cert accurately. The claim doesn't close just because one week had high earnings.

That's actually really good to know. I have a job that has variable hours week to week so this matters a lot for me.

This is exactly right. EDD calculates each certification week on its own. Variable hour workers can absolutely see their benefit amounts bounce around week to week.

That's terrifying honestly. The stakes feel really high to get this exactly right.

just be super careful and screenshot every certification you submit so you have records if anything gets disputed later

A day and a half of calling?? I can't deal with that stress on top of starting a new job.

That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier in this thread - claimyr.com. They handle the hold time navigation for you. There's a video showing the whole process at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 - basically gets you connected to an actual EDD agent without you sitting on hold all day.

I wish I'd known about that. Would have saved me so much time.

Definitely plan to be fully honest. I'm more just worried about making an administrative mistake than intentionally doing anything wrong.

In that case just screenshot your certifications and keep notes of what you reported each week. If there's ever a discrepancy you'll have your own records to reference.

Good advice. Keeping your own records separate from what EDD shows in their system is genuinely smart.

Oh I didn't know the reason code mattered. I'll pay close attention to that.

Yeah it's one of those things that's easy to overlook but can cause headaches. The questions and answer choices changed a bit after they updated UI Online so just read each one carefully.

I reported net by accident on my first part time cert and it caused a discrepancy. Had to call and correct it which was its own adventure.

Yep. Gross is the number on your paystub before any deductions. Not take-home. EDD is very specific about this.

Several people have mentioned this now so clearly it's a common mistake. Making a note.

Your new employer doesn't really have standing to contest your previous unemployment claim. They would be a future employer for UI tax purposes but wouldn't be involved in reviewing a prior claim. If your former employer had an issue with your claim that would have come up during the initial adjudication process.

That makes sense. I was just worried because my old job was weird about the whole separation and I thought maybe the new employer showing up in the system would flag something.

Yeah I'll definitely come back and update. Starting Wednesday and my first certification for a partial week should be next Sunday. Will report back.

please do! these real life examples are way more helpful than trying to decode the EDD website

LMAO right?? the edd website is designed to confuse people i swear

There actually is a partial benefit calculator concept in the DE 2320 publication which you can find on EDD's website but you basically have to know to search for it specifically. It's not surfaced anywhere obvious.

of course it's buried in a PDF that nobody told us existed

Seconding this. Getting an actual EDD agent to confirm your specific situation is way better than guessing based on forum advice, no offense to everyone here.

No offense taken - I actually think I'm going to use this before my first cert just to confirm the gross earnings and reporting week questions.

Interesting. So there's no benefit to stopping early from a savings perspective? The weeks just expire?

Correct. Your benefit year is set when you open the claim. You either use the weeks or you don't. There's no advantage to voluntarily stopping aside from the fact that if you're fully employed you're not eligible anyway.

This is accurate. Maximum benefit amount and benefit year end date are fixed at claim establishment. Weeks you're ineligible for (because you're fully employed) simply aren't paid - they're not saved for later.